Vito: Like it or not, Carter-Williams bringing Sixers wins

The 76ers’ star rookie Michael Carter-Williams, right, makes his move against former Sixers All-Star and current Pelicans Jrue Holiday, left during the Sixers’ game against New Orleans Nov. 29. With Carter-Williams in the lineup, the Sixers have a 6-8 record, while without him, they are an unsightly 1-10. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

PHILADELPHIA — If a rookie’s interview sessions with reporters are as risky as stepping into a batting cage without a helmet, the first question lobbed toward Michael Carter-Williams Thursday afternoon must have resembled an underhand-thrown softball with a high arc.

The 76ers’ prodigy of a point guard, who has missed the last seven games due to a right knee skin infection and is expected to play Friday night against visiting Brooklyn, was asked before all else about his jersey being a top-seller the last few months on NBA.com.

There’s a good chance Carter-Williams will play against the Nets. Those looking for him to get back on the court have had to wait more than two and a half weeks. For those looking for positive feedback on Carter-Williams’ play, you usually don’t have to stray far to find it. The kid is reaping rave reviews around the league, and statistics certainly support such praise. No rookie is producing like Carter-Williams, the 11th overall pick in June’s draft. He leads all first-year players with his scoring, rebounding and assists averages.

The most critical stat of all, though, is wins. Without him in the lineup, at two stretches this season due to injury, the Sixers have gone 1-10. With him on the floor, they own a more aesthetically pleasing 6-8 record.

Assuming he stays healthy the rest of the way, some already have declared he will be Rookie of the Year. Others, like his coach, are rebuffing early prognostications. Just the other day, Brett Brown said Carter-Williams is “not a savior,” when asked why his team has been unable to break a seven-game slump with him out of the lineup.

Wins don’t lie. Jersey sales apparently don’t, either. And that’s the dilemma: The Sixers are at a crossroads. They can’t win without Carter-Williams. And with him, for the sake of next summer’s draft, they don’t want to win.

As poorly constructed as their roster is, and as dismal as losing 14 of their last 16 might seem, the Sixers started Thursday only 3½ games out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Would it be unthinkable for them to attain a postseason berth? Not really, given how awfully muddled the East is, with only three of the 15 teams keeping their heads above the .500 mark.

But the playoffs aren’t the story. Carter-Williams is.

He has exceeded initial expectations. He’s gone from a guy who at Syracuse had a questionable midrange game and was viewed as a one-handed guard to a one-time Eastern Conference Player of the Week, and a Player of the Month award recipient, and a league record-setter with nine steals in his league debut, and a headline-stealer with a triple-double in a double-overtime win this month.

He’s also a coach. Sort of.

The Sixers have not won since Dec. 3, when last Carter-Williams slung on his red-and-blue threads. In that time, it’s not as though Carter-Williams has been keeping his distance from his coach and teammates. According to Brown, Carter-Williams has been poking and prodding the first-year coach as much as the trainers have been doing the same to his infected right knee. He asks questions. He listens. He engages Brown. Basically, he’s making the best of a bad situation.

“I’ve seen different sides of him,” Brown said. “I’ve seen him on the court, and you judge him there. I’ve seen him as an injured player and I’ve been with him for two weeks and a little bit of a coaching-type question like, ‘What do you think of this?’ or ‘How would we do this?’ and he’s more of a spectator/injured player/wannabe point guard-coach type of thing.

“And I see him in a really positive light when I listen to what he has to say and how he sees the game. I’m thrilled he’s back. I’m thrilled he’s with me. I’m glad he’s the Philadelphia 76ers’ 22-year-old rookie point guard.”

Wins are the byproduct of circumstance and effort. It just so happens Carter-Williams’ ability to play represents the former and produces the latter. You can’t slight a kid for trying to win, even if that’s not in his team’s immediate plans.